Official Ambassadors announced

Actor James Nesbitt and JLS singer Marvin Humes have been named as the first official ambassadors for The 2014 Ryder Cup.

They will be joined by model Jodie Kidd and ex-footballers Ruud Gullit and Alan Hansen, who have all added their names to the famous faces showing their support for next year’s tournament.

As part of their role, the ambassadors will be attending the Year to Go celebrations in Edinburgh on 23 September 2013. They will join European Captain Paul McGinley and American Captain Tom Watson on board a specially commissioned steam locomotive which will kick off a series of celebrations to mark a Year to Go until The 2014 Ryder Cup.

The captains will also be the main attraction at An Audience with The Ryder Cup Captains, which will feature entertainment from legendary Scottish band Hue & Cry and comedian Fred MacAulay.

Ryder Cup ambassador James Nesbitt, who has most recently appeared in the Hollywood blockbuster The Hobbit, said: “Golf is one of my lifelong passions and I always find an excuse to hit the course between filming or share tips with fellow golf fans. I’m very proud to be an ambassador for The 2014 Ryder Cup and take part in what is the greatest event on the golf calendar. The 2014 Ryder Cup will be an amazing week, not just for Scotland, but for golf fans across Europe who will be hoping our team can repeat its incredible performance at Medinah”.

Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, Richard Hills, said: “It’s great to see how The Ryder Cup has generated such interest from outside the world of golf. All of the ambassadors have already shown a genuine love of the game and passion to grow the sport and I know fans will share their excitement as the countdown begins to The 2014 Ryder Cup”.

The 2014 Ryder Cup takes place at The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, Scotland from September 26-28, 2014.